NFL will have later trade deadline and change its injured-reserve rules

Pictures of the Ravens game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17.

Aaron WilsonThe Baltimore Sun

After a considerable amount of haggling, the NFL Management Council and NFL Players Association have agreed to move back the NFL trading deadline and adopt a new rule allowing teams to activate one player from injured reserve.

The trading deadline has been shifted back from Oct. 16 to Oct. 30, the NFL and the players' union jointly announced Thursday afternoon.

The deadline is now on a Tuesday following the eighth week of the regular season.

Because the injured reserve rule change was adopted following the roster cutdown to 75 players, the NFL and the NFLPA agreed to a transition procedure that allows teams to return to their 53-player active roster list one player that was already placed on injured reserve since training camp started.

Teams have until 9 p.m. to make that designation.

After NFL teams get down to 53 players by Friday night, the injured reserve will operate this way:

Only a player who's regarded as having a major injury and placed on injured reserve prior to Sept. 4 or after during the season would be eligible to be reactivated at a later date.

Major injuries are regarded as anything that would sideline the player for at least six weeks from the date of the injury

Each team can reactivate one player from injured reserve on Sept. 4, and they must be "designated for return" at the time the team places him on injured reserve.

That player is eligible to return to practice if placed on injured reserve and on injured reserve for at least six weeks from the date placed on injured reserve. The player is then eligible to be activated if he's been on injured reserve for at least eight weeks from the date he's placed on injured reserve.